The silent social epidemic of youth suicide in India

In India today, every eight minutes, a young life is lost to suicide.

- AVINASH PANDEY

It is a silent and growing epidemic which is impossible to ignore any further. The latest NCRB data reports the highest ever recorded figure of 1.71 lakh deaths by suicide. Alarmingly, 41 per cent of these deaths are of young Indians under 30 years of age. This devastating crisis of youth suicide is a major public policy and social challenge for India.

There has been an alarming rise in suicide amongst the youth. During 2018-2022, the recorded incidence of suicide increased by 27 per cent. Of these deaths, the young and the middle-aged are disproportionately affected, as they constitute 67 per cent of all deaths by suicide, which is the leading cause of death in this age group. Within this group, the rise in student suicides is even more concerning. The number of student suicides doubled in the last decade and it increased alarmingly at 4 per cent annually, double the growth rate of overall suicide in India, which is highly concerning. These are not just statistics; it reflects dreams cut short, families devastated, casting an eclipse over India's demographic dividend.

In a developing country like India, where 67 per cent of the households earn less than Rs. 5 lakh per annum, the students bear the brunt of intergenerational family expectations as a means of social mobility. The intense competition for limited seats in prestigious institutions coupled with relentless academic pressure is further compounded by parental and societal expectations.

The Indian Journal of Psychiatry reports that over 60 per cent of student suicides are linked to academic stress and fear of failure. This is because of the social environment wherein grades and academic performance becomes the sole measure of worth. This academic pressure cooker environment, where success is narrowly defined by grades and college admissions, has created a toxic culture of stress and anxiety among students, leading to suicidal thoughts, is also confirmed by NCRB reports.